Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy video game, in which players command armies from a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. Like Halo Wars, the game features two playable factions: humanity's main military arm, the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), who return from the first game, and a new alien faction known as the Banished, who serve as replacement for the Covenant. Each faction has different leader units. The campaign mode is composed of thirteen missions, and will support cooperative gameplay. Combat in Halo Wars 2 is balanced by a rock paper scissors counter-attack system, in which ground vehicles are effective in combat against infantry, infantry are effective against aircraft, and aircraft are effective against vehicles.